How To E-Sign Documents the Easy Way

It's Tax Day! Some of you may be spending tonight e-filing and e-signing important documents for Uncle Sam using your favorite tax filing software. But what do you do when it's not tax time, for those occasions when someone sends a signature-required fax request? Here's an easy way to get your signature digitized for e-signing documents...

E-signing apps aren't new, but many of the earlier options weren't convenient or easy to use. HelloFax and HelloSign however, are particularly useful, and have become particularly helpful and recommended e-signature tools.

HelloSign is available as a mobile app (with a built-in scanner), but I find the browser portal more useful and robust. Here's how to set up your signature for use via the HelloSign website:

3. Create your custom signature. HelloSign gives you just about every option you'd want to easily create a signature you can use with digital files.

Most people will probably find the smartphone option easiest. Just snap a photo and email to HelloSign. If you have a drawing app such as SketchBook, you can draw in your signature on the device then take a screenshot (iPhone users: Home and Power buttons simultaneously; Android users: Volume Down and Power buttons simultaneously).

4. With your signature ready, you can now upload the document you want to sign. HelloSign allows you to pull documents from a variety of popular sources like your Dropbox or Google Drive.

5. Now click the Edit & Sign button to drop in your signature in the document. You can also add in textboxes, and date signed fields for extra convenience.

6. Click Done when you're through editing and you send send the document back through email or fax (you'll have to click back through the HelloFax portal to send your signed document to a fax number).

After setting things up, signing documents becomes as simple as uploading a doc, dropping in your existing signature, then emailing or faxing it back to the recipient. The combination of the e-signature tool with e-fax back is what makes this suite powerful.